Spring connector assemblies are used in numerous industries. Connectors can be used as mechanical devices to secure two or more components together and/or as electrical connectors, to transmit current or signals through a pin, a housing, and a spring.
Conventional connectors may use canted coil springs as the medium to latch or lock a pin and a housing together. The canted coil spring may be retained in a housing groove or pin groove with a portion of the spring coils protruding out the groove. A corresponding groove in the other component is to receive the protruding spring section and achieve latching between the pin and housing. Exemplary prior art connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,297,662 and 8,166,623.
Higher disconnect forces compared to connect forces can be accomplished by using different groove geometries, such as incorporating tapered sidewalls, angled groove bottoms, etc., and spring configurations, such as using an axial canted coil spring versus a radial canted coil spring.